Kettle type barbecue grills, including the widely known WEBER.TM. grill are immensely popular for use in barbecuing all sorts of meats with all sorts of sauces and marinades which are applied to the meat while being grilled. Generally, these kettle type grills are spherically shaped with the upper one-third being a removable cover and the lower two-thirds containing a cooking grill with space at the bottom for charcoal. A lip having a rolled edge surrounds the upper periphery of the lower kettle portion and forms the resting surface for the cover. A handle is usually provided in the center of the cover such that it may be conveniently lifted from the grill, with a hook in the interior of the cover for hanging the cover on the side of the grill. A large majority of these kettle type grills are freely movable as they include three support legs, with an axle extending between two of the support legs and wheels rotatably mounted thereto with an interconnecting framework extending between all the legs, the third leg resting on the ground to hold the grill in place. Thus, the kettle type barbecue grills provide a totally enclosed cooking surface which is easily transportable and which has a removable cover to gain access to the grill for applying sauces and the like.
Unfortunately, unlike some other barbecue grills, a work table or accessory table is not generally provided with a kettle grill although it is almost a necessity for holding the various sauces, meat trays, condiments and spices, and refreshment for the cook in close proximity to the cooking area. Usually, a separate TV tray or small table must be set up and located as close to the grill as possible. This is quite inconvenient and does not adequately solve the problem as TV trays and the like are not very stable, not tall enough, and generally provide a very small working surface. The height of the table not only makes it inconvenient to apply sauce to the meat, but it also puts any food including finished barbecue placed thereon in danger of pilferage by neighborhood pets.
At least one manufacturer has offered an accessory table for use with its kettle grill, but it has met with very little acceptance. This prior art table has separate support legs on one side and structure to attach to the handle along the edge of the grill at its other side. Thus, the table leans against the edge of the kettle which is held in place by only one of its support legs. If the kettle grill or table should accidentally be bumped, it is quite likely that the grill would be set in motion which would separate the table from the grill and allow the items supported thereon to crash to a concrete patio or the like. As the table is supported by the ground, it must be set up after the grill has been rolled into position and thus detracts from the portability thereof. Furthermore, the price for these tables has generally approached that charged for the entire grill itself and with its limited utility, its sales have not approached those of the grills.
To solve these and other problems existing in the prior art, and to fulfill a long felt need, applicant has succeeded in developing a work table kit which may be conveniently assembled and attached to a kettle grill and which provides a sufficiently large work area to accommodate the many items needed to barbecue, all without detracting from the portability of the grill. Applicant's work table includes a table top surface with an edge thereof contoured to match the curvature of the side of the grill. The table may be made of wood, particle board, or FORMICA.TM. as is used in kitchen countertops with a groove cut along its periphery to mount a plastic Tee molding to improve its appearance. Indeed, applicant has been successful in using sink cut-outs from counters for his table surface which would otherwise have been scrapped and which are generally available at a reduced price.
Two pairs of stainless steel clips secure the contoured edge of the table in a spaced apart orientation to the side of the grill, with one clip in each pair sliding over the top of the lip of the grill and the other clip sliding up underneath the rolled edge of the lip. These clips are then secured to the lower surface of the table top with small screws so that the lip of the grill is captured within the clips. A strut member extends from the outer edge of the table top and down to the axle which supports the two wheels of the grill. A swivel mount attaches the upper end of the strut to the lower surface of the table top and a series of pilot holes may be pre-drilled in the table top to permit leveling of the table top to suit the owner's preferences. For example, if barbecuing is usually performed on a slanted driveway or the like, the table top need not be leveled with the surface of the grill but instead may be leveled against the slanted driveway.
The lower end of the strut has a strengthening insert which may be a wood dowel or the like and held in position by dimpling along the outside periphery of the strut. The strut itself may be a hollow aluminum tubing. A notch or slot is cut into the lower end of the strut and insert of a size which will receive the axle of the grill so that the strut and insert extends slightly below the axle. A hole is drilled through that portion of the strut and insert which extends below the axle and a retaining pin is slipped through the hole to act as a catch and secure the lower end of the strut and insert to the axle and prevent its being inadvertently removed therefrom. The retaining pin may be a simple aluminum roofing nail which has a flattened head and ridges formed along its shank which helps secure it within the hole and prevent it from being jarred out of position. The position of the strut is chosen such that it passes immediately adjacent the third support leg and a plastic tie wrap is used to secure the strut along a medial portion thereof to the support leg and further help stabilize the work table.
Thus, using applicant's kit, one may easily install an accessory table to any kettle grill which is positively secured thereto at both of its sides and supported by a strut member extending all the way beneath the kettle grill and to the axle support. The table solves the problem of where to put the various sauces, condiments, and the like while barbecuing and eliminates the bothersome task of separately positioning an unstable TV tray or the like, which is inadequate and subject to being overturned. Furthermore, the accessory table does not detract from the portability of the kettle grill and indeed may itself be used as a handle to wheel the kettle grill about, if desired.
Applicant has briefly summarized some of the features of his invention. These and other features may be more fully understood by reading and reviewing the drawings and preferred embodiment which follows.